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Research Summaries
Contents |
Research Purpose
The increased use of corn grain for ethanol production in the United States has caused a dramatic increase in corn grain prices, in turn increasing feed cost for poultry producers. There is a concern that sufficient corn may not be available for use in poultry feed or that such use will be prohibitively expensive. The co-product from ethanol production, corn DDGS, is suitable as poultry feed and is currently fed to laying hens at up to 15–20% of the diet. This inclusion level is based on corn DDGS price and availability, and it could increase with changes in feed ingredient prices. However, it is not known what effects, if any, there are of feeding very high levels of corn DDGS to laying hens with regard to nutrient and manure excretion and egg production. The objectives of this research were to investigate the effects of high dietary corn DDGS inclusion rates on nutrient and manure excretion and on egg production.
Activities
Diets containing 0, 23, 46, or 69% corn DDGS were formulated to be similar in metabolizable energy and digestible amino acids. Each diet was fed to 6 cages of 2 laying hens for 8 weeks after an initial 4-week-long transition period during which the dietary contents of corn DDGS were gradually increased. Egg production, egg weight, and feed consumption were measured weekly, whereas manure excretion and egg quality was measured after feeding the treatment diets for 6 weeks.
What We Have Learned
Nitrogen consumption and excretion increased with increasing dietary corn DDGS contents. Egg production decreased linearly, whereas egg weight increased linearly, resulting in similar overall egg output. Feed consumption increased linearly with increasing dietary corn DDGS content, causing an increase in manure dry matter excretion.
Why is This Important?
The previously researched dietary corn DDGS levels of up to 20% were governed by current feed ingredient availability and price (i.e., the relative prices of corn grain, corn DDGS, and soybean meal) and did therefore not necessarily reflect inclusion levels that would potentially limit egg production or egg quality. When economic restraints are removed and only the feed ingredients’ contents of nutrients restrain diet formulation, very high amounts of corn DDGS can be included in the diet. The current demonstration project shows that high dietary contents of corn DDGS need not adversely affect egg output (as long as the diet is formulated on a digestible amino acid basis), yet nitrogen excretion and manure dry matter excretion increase. Although the higher manure nitrogen content may increase the manure fertilizer value, it may also negatively impact the environment through ground water contamination and eutrophication if the manure is not properly managed.
For More Information
Authors: Lane Pineda, Stacey Roberts, and Kristjan Bregendahl, Iowa State University. Contact us at kristjan@iastate.edu or (515) 294-5132. For more information, read the following article:
Pineda, L., S. Roberts, B. Kerr, R. Kwakkel, M. Verstegen, and K. Bregendahl. 2008. Maximum dietary content of corn distiller's dried grains with solubles in diets for laying hens. Effects on nitrogen balance, manure excretion, egg production, and egg quality. A.S. Leaflet R2334, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 2008 (AS 654 CD), Iowa State University. Available at the ISU Animal Industry Report website.
''This report was prepared for the annual meeting of the regional research committee, S-1032 "Animal Manure and Waste Utilization, Treatment and Nuisance Avoidance for a Sustainable Agriculture". This report is not peer-reviewed and the author has sole responsibility for the content.
